LWVUS Joins Letter to Congress Opposing the SAVE Act

The League joined over 100 other organizations in writing to House leadership in strong opposition to H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Chairman Steil, and Ranking Member Morelle, 

On behalf of the Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD), a coalition of more than 260 local, state and national organizations working to strengthen U.S. democracy, and the undersigned organizations, we write in strong opposition to H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. 

Congress has a constitutional responsibility to safeguard free and fair elections and ensure all American citizens can freely, securely, and easily exercise their right to vote. The SAVE Act represents a dangerous departure from fulfilling this duty, and as currently written, this bill will make it significantly harder, if not outright impossible, for millions of Republican, Democratic, and independent voters to register to vote and have their voices heard. The SAVE Act would place the burden on every single American citizen to prove their citizenship when registering to vote or updating their voter registration, chiefly by either presenting a passport or a birth certificate in person. In practice, the SAVE Act would up-end online voter registration, a practice in 42 states, make it impossible for Americans to register to vote by mail, and put an end to voter registration drives nationwide. The only feasible way for every single American citizen to register to vote or update their registration – including for an address or party change – would be to do so in person. 

Federal law already states that it is illegal for non-U.S. citizens to register to vote or cast a ballot in a federal election (18 U.S. C. § 1015). It’s an existing crime that is punishable by up to five years in prison. Election officials already use extensive state and federal data, including citizenship data, to verify an individual’s eligibility to cast a ballot and Americans must already provide either the last four digits of their social security number or driver’s license number when registering to vote to enable officials to verify their identity and eligibility.

Research indicates that more than nine percent of voting-age citizens, 21.3 million Americans, do not have proof of citizenship readily available, while at least 3.8 million do not have these documents at all due to loss, damage, or theft. 

Data from the U.S. Department of State shows that approximately only half of all American citizens possess a passport meaning that half of all American citizens would not be able to provide one of the primary acceptable forms of documentation required by the legislation. Nationwide, more than 140 million Americans do not possess a passport, and specifically, data indicates that approximately 3.1 million Louisiana citizens, 5.1 million New York citizens, and 3.3 million Wisconsin citizens do not possess a passport. Americans who have completed less education or have lower income are also far less likely to have a passport, making this a socio-economic issue that would disproportionately impact working-class Americans. Additionally, older Americans are less likely than younger citizens to have a passport. 

Surveys also show that eight in ten married women have changed their surname, meaning they do not possess a birth certificate that matches their current legal name and therefore could not present it as valid proof of citizenship. Nationwide, this would mean that as many as 69 million women could not use their birth certificate to prove their identity or citizenship status. This would impact as many as 1 million women in Louisiana, 1.3 million women in Wisconsin, and 3.8 million women in New York. 

The SAVE Act could also prevent victims of natural disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, from being able to register to vote in cases where their passport or original birth certificate was lost or damaged. Citizens who move more often as well as rural citizens will also be greatly impacted by these strict requirements as they will be required to resubmit, in person, the required documentation every time they update their voter registration. Many civil rights groups have also warned that naturalized citizens and citizens of color would likely face even greater discrimination under the legislation when trying to access the ballot box. 

Introduction of the SAVE Act is the most recent example of a string of schemes to make voting more difficult for citizens, while hiding behind a thin veil of disinformation promoting false narratives of wide-spread voter fraud. Even President Trump’s Presidential Advisory Committee on Election Integrity was disbanded after it was not able to find evidence of widespread voter fraud in U.S. elections. Despite overwhelming evidence attesting to the integrity of federal elections, many Americans continue to voice concerns about our elections – we encourage Congress to be receptive to those concerns, but it must do so responsibly and constitutionally. Instead of proceeding with this dangerous bill, Congress should take actions that will strengthen our elections and ensure that all eligible voters have access to the ballot box.